NASEO Newsroom

NASEO Hosts State Energy Risk Assessment Workshop

May 7, 2015

On April 28 – 29, 2015, NASEO, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and the National Conference of State Legislatures, conducted the 2015 State Energy Risk Assessment Workshop in Denver, Colorado. The workshop is part of an initiative to help states and their partners gain awareness of risk to energy systems and infrastructure, as well as to become knowledgeable of necessary capabilities, available tools, methods, and processes for assessing risks to energy systems and assets. Risk-informed decision making, for example, means not only understanding if an element of the energy system is vulnerable, but if that vulnerability presents substantial health, safety, and economic consequences that would warrant mitigation or alternatives.

The workshop was attended by over 120 individuals from state and local agencies responsible for energy assurance planning, investments in resilience and energy infrastructure risk assessment and management (including State Energy Offices, Public Utility Commissions, Emergency Management Agencies, Homeland Security Agencies, and State Legislatures) as well as industry and federal agency representatives. The day-and-half workshop featured experts from national laboratories, state agencies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the private sector who specialize in energy data, risk analysis, and assessments. Throughout the workshop, attendees participated in facilitated discussions on how states approach and conduct risk assessments.